Mineral signatures of glacial environments and implications

for past climates on MarsBriony Horgan, Allie Rutledge, Noel Scudder, Becky Smith

Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary SciencesPurdue University

Elizabeth RampeAerodyne – Jacobs JETS contract NASA JSC

ASU collaborators: Everett Shock, Phil Christensen

Mars has been largely cold, hyper-arid, and radiation bathed for the past 3+ billion years

Current atmospheric pressure:1-6 millibars (1000x less than Earth surface pressure)

5km

CTX/MRO

There is abundant evidence from landforms for a previously more temperate climate on Mars

Dendritic valley networks imply a sustained,

distributed water source - rainfall and/or snowmelt.

Courtesy Nicolas Mangold

DownwardDownward

Drainage

Divide

Crater densities suggest that the valleys date consistently from 3.4-3.8 billion years ago

Red lines = Valley networks Di Achille and Hynek (2010)

Crater densities suggest that the valleys date consistently from 3.4-3.8 billion years ago

Fassett & Head (2008)

Surfaces from this period also exhibit diverse minerals formed via sustained contact with water

Ehlmann and Edwards (2014)

Measurements and models suggest atmospheric pressures >100’s mbar and probably <1 bar

Paleobarometers from isotopes (D/H, Ar36, etc.)(e.g., Webster et al., 2013)

Estimation of CO2 pressure from carbonate deposits (Hu et al., 2015)

(Kite et al., 2014)

(Kite et al., 2014)

Valleynetworks

Mars now... Mars 4 billion years ago -a habitable world?

Mars was Earth-like at the time when life was first starting on Earth …but we don’t have a good record on Earth from this time period!

HOWEVER…Climate models are unable to produce sustained surface temperatures on ancient Mars above 0oC

Was the early climate cold and only transiently wet?

Forget et al. (2013)

In a cold climate, the topographic dichotomy may trap water in ice sheets in the highlands

Known as the “Late Noachian icy highlands” model, applies for

pressures >100’s mbar

Wordsworth et al. (2013) Fastook & Head (2014) Kress & Head (2015)

The ice sheet would have been largely frozen to the bed, with only localized melting and erosion

Limited geothermal heat flux on Mars would have inhibited basal

melting (Cassanelli et al., 2015)

Melt largely as top-down melting, no prolonged liquid water

(Wordsworth et al., 2013)

NASA - Greenland

The late Noachian icy highlands model is highly controversial with many open questions

• Is the icy highlands end member truly representative of the entire time period?

• If so, what drives transient warming events? • Are these warming events long enough to create the

observed non-glacial hydrologic features? • Are the observed possible glacial morphologies Noachian in

age, or related to later glaciations?

• This study: Is the mineralogy of ancient Mars consistent with weathering in a perennially cold climate?

We would expect similar cold-climate weathering mechanisms on a cold and icy Noachian Mars as on Earth

Alpine/arctic soils: Subaerial leaching

by snowmelt

Alpine and arctic soils weathered by snow melt are dominated by poorly-crystalline phases

• In mature temperate soils with slow to moderate weathering rates, crystalline clay minerals dominate (Singer, 1980)

• But very rapid leaching, as during seasonal melt, favors the formation of poorly crystalline phases (Ziegler et al., 2003)

snow line

allophane-dominated soils

smectite-dominated soils

Alexander et al. (1993)Tsai et al. (2010)

We would expect similar cold-climate weathering mechanisms on a cold and icy Noachian Mars as on Earth

Alpine/arctic soils: Subaerial leaching

by snowmelt

Wet-based glaciers:Subglacial alteration by pressure melting and mechanical grinding

Cold-based glaciers:???, perhaps thin-film alteration at contact

with ice

Little is known about the mineralogy of glacial weathering, and even less about glacial weathering on mafic terrains

• Most studies have focused on water chemistry - not solid phases (Sharp et al. 1995; Tranter et al. 2002; Anderson 2000)

• Without a systematic study, we do not have enough information to search for glacially weathered terrains on the surface of Mars.

• This study: What is the mineralogy of glacial weathering?

Field site: Three Sisters volcanic complex, Cascade Range, Central Oregon

North Sister

Middle Sister

1 km

Hayden Glacier

Diller Glacier

Collier Glacier

Seattle

Portland

Mt. Shasta

Mt. St. Helens

Mt. Rainier

Mt. Hood

Three Sisters

Collier Glacier is a classic U-shaped valley with large lateral moraines

NorthSister

MiddleSister

North

Collier Glacier

west lateralmoraine

east lateralmoraine

Collier Cinder Cone

Site rationale: These glaciers have retreated over 1 km in the past 100 years due to climate change

2011 Jim O’Connor

1914 EF Martin

8/7/2016

Site Rationale: The Three Sisters are the most mafic glaciated peaks in the US, thus are a good Mars analog

Glacier

Basalt

Andesite

Dacite

Sediments

NorthSister

MiddleSister

1 km

HaydenGlacier

DillerGlacier

Collier Glacier

Hildreth et al. (2012)

First question: Can we detect signs of glacial alteration in remote sensing data?

Thermal-infrared imagery shows high-silica (pink) vs. mafic (blue) volcanics.

Glacier

Basalt

Andesite

Dacite

Sediments

NorthSister

MiddleSister

1 km

HaydenGlacier

DillerGlacier

Collier Glacier

Hildreth et al. (2012)MASTER DCS 47/44/42 (2003)

Hayden Glacier

Collier Glacier

Vegetation

Diller Glacier

Thermal-infrared imagery shows high-silica (pink) vs. mafic (blue) volcanics.

Glacier

Basalt

Andesite

Dacite

Sediments

NorthSister

MiddleSister

1 km

HaydenGlacier

DillerGlacier

Collier Glacier

Hildreth et al. (2012)

Hayden Glacier

Collier Glacier

Dacite

Andesite

Basalt

Basalt

Basalt

Diller Glacier

Vegetation

MASTER DCS 47/44/42 (2003)

Dacite

Basalt

However, glacial till plains look more silicic than expected - is this due to alteration?

Glacier

Basalt

Andesite

Dacite

SedimentsHildreth et al. (2012)

Hayden Glacier

Collier Glacier

Dacite

Andesite

Basalt

Basalt

Basalt

Diller Glacier

Dacite

High-silica moraines

Vegetation

MASTER DCS 47/44/42 (2003)

High-silica moraine

Basalt

Visible/Near-infrared spectral variability is dominated by syn-eruptive “volcanic” alteration

Hayden Glacier

Collier Glacier

Diller Glacier

MASTER VNIR PCA (2003)1 km

Hydrothermal(yellow)

Hydrothermal(magenta)

Oxidation(red)

Oxidation(blue/cyan)

“Rainbow Moraine” is composed of volcanically altered rocks

Glacial moraines have a distinct VNIR spectral character (yellow) - is this due to alteration?

MASTER VNIR PCA (2003)1 km

Lateral/groundmoraine Lateral

moraines

Lateralmoraines

Lateral/groundmoraine Lateral

moraines

Lateralmoraines

Second question: Can we detect signs of glacial alteration in the field and lab?

(1) Survey the distribution of possible alteration phases —> Acquire rocks and sediments, map visible compositional trends

Glacial flour is the dominant phase by surface area in lateral moraines and proximal to the glacier

Glacial flour is probably thus responsible for the distinct VNIR signature (yellow) of these areas

Subglacially precipitated glaze is present on recently exposed glacially scoured lava flows.

Direction of glacier flow

“Regelation films” precipitate subglacially due to pressure melting and refreezing.

Stoss: Pressure melting, dissolution of bedrock/till. Solution

becomes supersaturated.

Lee: Release of pressure, refreezing. Freeze forces ions out of solution: precipitation!

Hallet (1976)

Second question: Can we detect signs of glacial alteration in the field and lab?

(2) Determine spectral signatures and mineralogy of alteration phases —> Field VNIR spectra of outcrops —> Lab VNIR/TIR spectra —> XRD, SEM, TEM, XRF

VNIR spectra of glacial sediments and regelation films show clear alteration, mainly hydrated silica.

a

b

Saponite

Nontronite

Hydrated Silica

Montmorillonite

Goethite

Hematite

~1.0 µmiron bands 1.4, 1.9

µm water bands 2.2-2.3 µm

alteration

c

cc

~1.0 µmiron bands

1.4, 1.9 µm water bands

2.2-2.3 µm alteration

Saponite

NontroniteHydrated Silica

Montmorillonite

Hematite

a

b

cSediments

Films

Thermal-infrared spectra are dominated by poorly crystalline components.

cBasaltic glass

Andesitic glass

Al-Si gel

Subglacial rock coating

Glacial flour

1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 (cm-1)

8 10 12 15 20 (µm)

Emis

sivi

ty (

offs

et fo

r cl

arity

)

Broad U- to V-shaped absorptions of glacial flour are best modeled by mafic glass — a substitute for an

unknown Fe-rich amorphous silicate phase

In contrast, rock coatings are best modeled by typical Al-Si gel, supporting a silica

glaze interpretation.

XRD indicates that glacial flour is composed of primary minerals and an amorphous component

cPeaks due to feldspar, pyroxene, olivine, oxides

Diller glacial flour, bulk

Broad hump = amorphous material

Peaks due to feldspar, pyroxene, oxides

Collier glacial flour, <2 micron

Enhanced amorphous hump

Hydrothermalclays

Noclays

Second question: Can we detect signs of glacial alteration in the field and lab?

(1) Survey the distribution of possible alteration phases

(2) Determine their spectral signatures and mineralogy

(3) Relate alteration processes to aqueous geochemistry—> Field pH, temperature, silica, etc. —> Collect water for lab analyses

Silica dissolution is occurring in this glaciated volcanic system independent of meltwater pH.

But the source of silica (subglacial vs. proglacial) is unclear

Mafic glacial systems are unique in that they are appear to be dominated by silica rather than carbonate.

• Previous studies: carbonate dissolution coupled with sulfide oxidation regardless of bedrock, aided by microbial populations (Sharp et al. 1995; Wadham et al. 2001; Tranter et al. 2002; Anderson et al. 2003; Wadham et al. 2004; Skidmore et al. 2005; Hamilton et al. 2013).

• Calcite regelation films are well-documented, silica glaze is rarely mentioned (Hallet 1975,1979; Whalley et al. 1990; Peterson & Morseby 1979)

• Detailed chemistry/mineralogy of glacial flour has yet to be examined, especially amorphous component: stay tuned!

Glaciers provide diverse microenvironments, and their unique chemistry supports unique ecosystems.

Snow algae Methanogens?

Diatoms?

Bubblers

Bubblers

New hypothesis: Poorly-crystalline silicates on Mars may indicate past cold-climate weathering

• Where on Mars would we expect these phases to accumulate?

(1) Concentration in fine-grained component of distal lacustrine sediments

(2) Exposure in aeolian sediments

• Locations we can test this hypothesis:

- Lake sediments in Gale Crater (age poorly constrained, late Noachian - mid Hesperian)

- Possible lake sediments in Gusev Crater (age poorly constrained, Noachian - mid Hesperian)

- Regional aeolian sediments observed from orbit (probably Amazonian, but other source eras possible)

Mars Science Laboratory data indicate that poorly crystalline phases are a major component of Gale Crater sediments

CheMin/APXS Amorphous Components: • Rocknest Ripple: 49%• John Klein Mudstone: 43% • Cumberland Mudstone: 39% • Confidence Hills Mudstone: 31%• Windjana Sandstone: 25% Morris et al (2015)

Cavanagh et al (2015)Treiman et al (2016)

Spirit rover data indicate that poorly crystalline silicates are also a major component of altered rocks in the Columbia Hills

Mini-TES “Glass” Components: • Mazatzal Rock Coating: 50% • Clovis Outcrop: 50% • Comanche Outcrop: 33%

Ruff & Hamilton (2013)

Thermal-IR models of many regions on Mars require a poorly crystalline high silica component

44%

Global map of TES high-silica spectral signaturecompared to modeled high silica wt %:

Modeled phases (Rampe et al., 2012):

33% 34% 25%

Ruff & Christensen (2007)

However, Noachian surfaces exhibit clear examples of well-crystalline clay minerals

Many deposits of clay minerals are consistent with

deep leaching profiles, suggesting sustained rainfall

Conclusions: Cold-climate melt-driven weathering could be the origin for poorly-crystalline phases on Mars

• Based on our new analog work and previous terrestrial studies, cold-climate weathering tends to generate high abundances of poorly crystalline silicates

• Poorly crystalline silicate phases appear to be a common component of martian sediments

• However, we have yet to investigate unambiguously Noachian sediments in situ, and Noachian regions exhibit greater degrees of weathering than we can currently explain with cold climates

• Thus, we cannot yet confirm a persistently cold climate on Noachian Mars

• Ongoing work: MSL studies, composition of poorly crystalline phases in diverse climate regimes, experimental precipitation of amorphous phases

Thank youAcknowledgements:

• Trinity Hamilton (University of Cincinnati) • Jeff Havig (University of Cincinnati) • Alice Baldridge (St. Mary’s University) • Marie McBride (Purdue University) • Sheridan Ackiss (Purdue University) • Rick & Matt Kipphorn • David & Ouina Rutledge

Supported by: • NASA Solar System Workings Program • NASA Mars Science Laboratory

Participating Scientist Program • Indiana Space Grant